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The story of Chief is one of two coasts. Though Evan Koga, and brothers Danny and Michael Fujikawa were all born and raised in Los Angeles, they left for New York University, worlds away. It was in New York that they first got to know one another as collaborators, rumbling through a number of semi-serious projects and solo ventures before feeling swept away by a small run of songs Koga had penned and presented to them. He had written them under the name Chief, a moniker the brothers Danny and Michael opted to keep the day they first formed their band. It was on New York stages that they honed their songs and found their sound, a thoughtfully melodic update on summer and road records past. Neil Young. Tom Petty. The Band. Crosby, Stills and Nash. Natural, timeless songwriting for times that change too quickly. LA was never far away.

In fact, in early 2009, they all started to migrate home to the City of Angels for good. "We simply wanted a change of pace," guitarist Koga says. "Our BPM is a little bit slower here." On Modern Rituals, their first full-length and Domino debut, that transcontinental downshift is captured in gorgeous, full-bodied stereo. The foursome took their songbook into the studio with New York-based, Grammy Award-winning producer Emery Dobyns. The goal was to create a rock record free of gimmicks and fences. The end result is just that. "It's a traveler's record. I listen and it immediately feels natural to see myself driving down the Pacific Coast Highway," guitarist Danny Fujikawa explains. "But at the same time, maybe it would feel the same way if I were walking through New York." Modern Rituals was tracked in four different studios, parts of some songs scattered across time in New York, Echo Park, Los Feliz and Venice, California. "You wouldn't know to listen for it, but it's like a math problem," says Michael. "I can hear personal experiences from all those times layered across some of these songs." To his brother, one element unifies the album as a whole. "There is a good bit of ocean in there," Danny says.

The Fur Traders have been hard at work this last year finishing our 6 song EP, harnessing elements of ghost stories, southern gospel, murder ballads, old western glory, epic rock, and charged with the powerful, sultry vocals of a woman to be reckoned with.

All self realized (self-recorded, produced, engineered, and mastered) this has been a huge undertaking, and truly a labor of love.

The Fur Traders developed a sound for this record which suggests influences by the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Nick Cave, Deep Purple, Southern rock, gospel and soul, Otis Redding, Townes Van Zandt, and many, many others. The powerful, female fronted vocals move you emotionally to listen to the lyric driven storytelling on the record. This EP is rooted in Americana, with a few hints of dreamy, sultry guitar, moments of galloping rock and screaming licks, melodic groovy wurlitzer, bass born from the love child of Barry White and Steve Harris, and drums which lead the ride with the pulse of a wild animal. Each song tells a different tale, all common to the root of what it is to be human: a watery tale about fear evolving into paranoia and self destruction, an epic western account of non-traditional love, a murder ballad written in the middle ages of young man who spurns a lady's affections and is murdered by her in revenge, and a soulful plea urging that our frantic existence slow down to where stillness can renew us to new forms of perception... at least for a moment.

ABOUT THE BAND:

Michelle came from indie folk outfit Eagle Winged Palace, inspired by the landscapes of CA, the Laurel Canyon music scene of the late 60's and a little Manson Family jams. Taking it to another cosmic realm, she sings with Linda Perhacs, whose album Parrallelograms continues to be a cult gem of psychedelic folk. Having bluesier roots, and wanting to explore new songs, the Fur Traders were born from an amalgamation of friends wanting to play "good tunes" . She has been a guest of the Whispering Pines, Crooked Cowboy Gypsy Orchestra, Boy Scout Jamboree, Ryan Traster, Fort King, and Wrightwood. Joel Patterson keeps the beat for the Silver Chords and Sky Parade and recently returned from an Australian adventure with Mark Gardener of Ride (good times, I am sure), Nathan Van Hala also strolled the canyons with Eagle Winged Palace, and adds his ivory touch to West Indian Girl, Dylan Dray & The Diamondback, and Saviour Machine. Brian Filosa's smooth basslines can beheard with The Whispering Pines and CB Brand and adds Jonathan Wilson and Chris Robinson to his belt. David Baine is the master of the breakdancing worm and plays rockin guitar with The Whispering Pines and CB Brand. We are all a pretty nice bunch.